Stattegg Church Plant (2007-Present): After we returned from furlough at the end of 2007 we began focusing on a new church plant with the contacts we had made since moving here. We strongly believe in small groups and therefore launched this ministry through home Bible studies.

In the Fall of 2008 we began holding biweekly worship services just north of Graz, in the community of Stattegg. We have had a high attendance of 53. This was at the baby dedication service for our daughter Grace. There are currently around 25 people who faithfully attend our services.

In the Spring of 2010 we began meeting for corporate worship on a weekly basis. Though growth has not been overwhelming it has been steady. We are currently seeking to train local leadership to assume the responsibility for this work.

Sports Outreach (2008-Present): In the Fall of 2008 I (Danny) joined the Styrian Bears American Football Club. My main interest in joining was to make new contacts and to get in a little better shape physically while doing it. God has really blessed this opportunity and, through it, has given our family a lot of great friends.

In the Summer of 2011 we were able to partner with Joel Hill and The Way Sports Ministries to host an evangelistic football camp in Graz. The camp was directed by Mike Cochran, Head Football Coach of SNU in Bethany, Oklahoma, and some of his staff along with a few other volunteers. We were also privileged to have former Chicago Bears TE, Michael Cobb as our special guest. During the course of the camp 12 young men indicated an interest in Following Jesus.

In 2012 we will have the opportunity to host two football camps. In addition to our camp in Graz we will also be hosting a camp in Tirol. In the future we may also be able to be involved in hosting other types of sport camps. We are already discussing the possibility of hosting a basketball camp in Graz in 2013. We are also in the process of forming a European sports ministry network to help facilitate sports ministry and evangelistic camps in others parts of Europe as well.

Gössendorf Church Plant (2010-Present): In November of 2010 we launched a second church plant south of Graz in the community of Gössendorf, where we reside. This ministry grew out of a Bible study that we were hosting in our home, ministering primarily to football players from the Styrian Bears. In May of 2010 we held our first service in the public chapel in Gössendorf and in August we signed an agreement that will allow us to host a monthly service there on a continual basis.

There are three families who have been regularly attending our services in Gössendorf up to this point. Recently, however, we have met two other Christian families in the area who have indicated an interest in getting involved in this work. It is our desire to build a strong base that will reach out into the community. We hope to also be able to install local leadership in this ministry as well as the Lord raises people up.

Past Ministry Projects:

International Baptist Church (2006-2007): In the fall of 2006 we partnered together with two other families to help start a ministry to the international community of Graz. Danny's main responsibility was to translate sermons from English into German. We were involved in this ministry until the summer of 2007, at which time we returned to the states for furlough. We were honored to be able to attend the service celebrating their official organization as a church in June of 2010. This ministry is currently being overseen by local leadership.

Baptisten Gemeinde (2004-2006): When we arrived in Austria, the only Baptist Church in Graz was without a pastor and had been so for a couple years. We attended this church for the first few years we were here and God allowed us to serve in many different areas the ministry there.

I was asked to preach on a regular basis and Krista and I were both involved in the music ministry. Krista was also very involved in the mother-child group of the church. Our goal, while we were there, was to help strengthen the church in any way we could as they searched for a pastor and to learn the cultural aspects of ministry as we studied German. The things we learned there have served as a basis for our continuing minstry in Austria. We stepped out of this ministry in the Summer of 2006 to beginning focusing on church planting. They have since called a pastor.

Since our departure we have had the opportunity to partner with the church on a couple of ministry projects. Specifically, in the Spring of 2007 we were able to help them host the Singing Men of Texas, who put on a marvelous evangelistic concert in Graz. We had over 300 people in attendance including the mayor of Graz (pictured left). After the concert he said, “Without Jesus Christ, I could not do my job as Mayor or be the husband and father that I need to be to my wife and kids.” What an encouraging statement to come from the mouth of the Mayor of the second largest city in Austria.

Iranian Bible Study (2004-2006): One other exciting ministry that we were able to be involved in was ministering to Iranian refugees in Austria. This ministry was actually a small group of the Baptisten Gemeinde. It was very unique and functioned more like ministry in a Restricted Access Nation than traditional ministry in Austria. In the time that we were involved, almost 20 people were baptized based upon their professions of faith. I have never seen a people hungrier for God’s Word than our Iranian friends. We were a part of this ministry until we left the Baptisten Gemeinde in 2006.